Tbttss fob the cube of hernia



UNITED srarns raTnN'r ormoni.

WILLIAM B. DEY, OF HOPE, NEW JERSEY.

TRUSS FOR THE CURE OF HERNIA, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,226, dated July 9, 1839.

To all 'whom it may concern p Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. Der, of the village of Hope, in the county of Tarren and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improved Truss to be Applied for the Relief or Cure of Hernia or Rupture, IVhether Inguinal or Felnoral, and Thich May Also be Applied in Cases of Prolapsus Ani, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

I use a steel spring to pass around the body and to sustain the pads, as in many other trusses, but this spring instead of passing around below the hips is to pass around above them, and is to be furnished with a pad at each end, one of which pads is to press upon the back, and the other upon the abdomen, thus bearing upon parts where a considerable degree of pressure can be borne with much greater' ease and convenience than in the ordinary mode of constructing and using spring trusses.

To the metallic plate which forms the eX- terior ot one of these pads, a second spring is attached, which descends down theretrom, and has a third pad on its lower end which third is the hernial, or rupture pad by which the pressure is to be exerted which is to retain the intestine in place.

The accompanying drawing gives a perspective view of my improved truss, A, A, being the steel spring which is to pass around the body, above the hips.

B, is the abdominal pad, or cushion, when the truss is used for hernia, but which becomes the back pad when the truss is used for prolapsus ani. The spring A is attached to the plate ot this pad by a single screw a., so that the pad may be readily turned around, and its point-s ot' bearing be altered. C, is the back pad, to which the spring A is attached in a similar manner, and for a similar purpose, but the screw, in this pad, is best inserted in or near the center ot the plate.

D, is the second spring, which is attached to the plate of the pad, or cushion B, by a hinge joint, or other analogous contrivance, as shown at 7),' at the lower end of the spring D, is the. hernial, or rupture pad E, which is to be made in such form as will best adapt it to the particular purpose to which itis intended to be applied. This pad moves on a ball and socket joint on the center of its plate, or is otherwise so constructed as to give it free play in all directions, allowing it to conform readily to the various movements of the patient. It is also made to slide upon the spring D, so that its distance from the pad B, may be altered; for this purpose it has a plate of metal on its under side to which the joint of the pad is attached; the screw 0, enters this metallic plate, which may have two or more holes to receive it; cl, (Z, are two clips making part of this metallic plate, and embracing the spring` D. This spring may be made adjustable, so that the rupture pad may be made to press with greater or less torce upon the intestine. F, is a` regulating screw by which this is effected; its point swivels in the plate of the pad B, and it is tapped into the spring D, by turning A, therefore the spring is moved nearer to or farther from the plate of t-he pad B, and the pressure of the rupture pad is regulated.

Then this truss is to be used for prolapsus ani, it is to be reversed, the pad, or cushion B, becoming the back, and the pad or cushion C, the abdominal pad. The spring A, may be made to pass around either side of the body at pleasure by merely having a second hole in the plate ot' the pad B, on the oppo site sides of the spring D, to receive the screw a. By this manner of combining and arranging the respective parts of my truss, the points of bearing of the back and abdominal pads may be altered at pleasure, and that almost instantaneously by merely causing said pads to turn or swivel upon the screws by which they are connected with the principal spring, thus affording great relief to the patient, while other important adjustments may be edected, as above set forth.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, in the withindescribed truss, is-

The manner in which I have combined the abdominal the. back, and the rupture pads with each other so as to constitute an instrument essentially new in its leading' characteristics; that is to say, the abdominal and back pads being attached by a single screw, or joint pin, to the opposite ends of a spring which is to pass around the body, above the hips, and the rupture pad being placed at the lower end of a spring descending from the abdominal, of back pad, as the case maj.v be, said second spring being made adjustable on the plate to which it is attached, in the manner, and for this purpose herein set forth.

WM. B. DEY. Witnesses:

THos. P. JONES, CLEMENT T. CooTE.. 

